Constanta 1941

Inainte de razbo nu erau extrardinar de multe masini europene in Romania. Majoritatea erau de origine americana, fapt nesurprinzator considerand ca Ford avea fabrica la Floreasca. De fapt, inca din anii 20 Romania era identificata ca piata nr.1 in sud-estul Europei pentru masini din America.

In timpul razboiului totusi, o gramada de masini au sosit din Germania, apoi un numar mai redus, tot modele europene, din Rusia. Multe au stat in tara. Recent a fost expus de vanzare un Adler inca cu hartii nemtesti.

Aceste doua poza arata ofiteri nemti, in zona Constantei, cu niste masini Ford Eifel. Eifel era modelul cel mai mic de Ford fabricat in Germania. In 2003 am avut sansa sa vad un Eifel la Roman, jud. Neamt, masina era intr-o curte din 85 dar inca arata destul de solida si originala. Ulterior masina a disparut. Cu 2 ani mai tarziu era pe Internet, cu un strat de vopsea neagra "matt", clar aplicat in mod grabit, la pretul astronomic de 15,000 Euro. La banii astia se poate gasi unul restaurat in Germania....

TV-41 in North Korea / TV-41 in Coreea de Nord

Nu am avut "sansa" sa calatoresc in Coreea de nord insa am auzit, si am vazut in imagini, ca un model de taxi relativ raspandit este celebra noastra Dacie 1310. insa se pare ca si TV-ul a ajuns pe acolo. E vorba de un rar TV-41M produs intre 1967 si 1972. A fost primul model TV care s-a exportat desi a fost o tentativa la TV-4M (1964-67), sau cel putin s-a produs o brosura. Numarul de 41-uri si 51-uri astazi in tara e foarte mic, in oirce caz nu depaseste 10-15. Inca mai sunt cateva in Cehia si Germania, tari care mai pastreaza asa ceva, restul s-au dus si am ramas doar cu memorii. TV-41 e cel mai vechi tip de TV care mai exista, modelele anterioare fiind extincte...

In Pyongyang multe masini si mai ales camioane au o viata extrem de lunga. E un obicei local sa pui o stea pe cabina unui camion care semnifica 50,000 km fara accidente. Nu e rar sa vezi modele vechi sovietice cu 10, 15 sau in unele cazuri 20 de stele. Ma intreb cate stele o fi luat frumosul microbuz TV sau daca, undeva in ultima tara cu adevarat comunista, inca isi mai taraie rotile...


I've not had the dubious honour of visiting north Korea but I'm reliably infromed that quite a popular taxi model is still the 190s Dacia 1310. But it seems as if the Dcia was not the only model that made it over. This postcard show a rare TV-41M made between 1967 and 1972. It was the first TV model to be exported although a brcure does exist o the earler TV-4M (1964-67) model. Today the 41/51 series (51 denotes 4x4) is very rare, the number in Romania not exceeding 10-15. Some also exist abroad, notably in Germany or the Czech republic where they look after these things somewhat better. Former models are completely extinct.

Cars and trucks in Pyongyang have an extremely had life. Local custom says that lorries carry a proud star on the side signifying 50,000 accident-free kilometres. It's not unusual to see 10, 15 or even 20 stars. I wonder how many this TV had the chance to ratchet up or indeed if, somewhere in North Korea, it's still plying its trade...

La mer.... (1935)

Autobuz de vacanta pe litoral (probabil Constanta sau Mamaia), circa 1935. E vorba despre un Ford BB din 1934 carosat special. Oare cine o fi facut caorieria?



Holiday charabanc, circa 1935, on the Black Sea coast, probably Constanta or Mamaia. It is a 1934 Ford BB truck with special coachwork - or wickerwork! But who was the coachbuilder?

Bonjour Bucarest (1968)

Niste imagini foarte interesante, din pacate nu extrordinar de clare, preluate din filmul "Impuscaturi pe portativ", din 1968. Toti cunoastem sau am vazut poze cu anumite parade din o anumita perioada, pline de Mercedesuri si Volgi negre, si cu un enorm Cadillac sau Mercedes landaulet in fata. Aici, totusi, vorbim de o parada complet diferita, cu multe modele ravnite in strainatate.

Secventa se gaseste aici! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OybvbEcSCwQ

Clar Caravelle e inmatriculata in Romania, cu niste numere destul de tari. La fel KG-ul. Ma intreb daca Caravelle-ul e exact acel visiniu care a supravietuit pana astazi in judetul Gorj? In rest, secventa se remarca prin cele doua antebelice. Inclin sa cred ca e vorba de doua BMW-uri 327, model foarte cautat inainte de razboi si astazI extrem de pretuit. Au existat (si inca exista!) mai multe exemplare in tara. Iar FIATul 850 Spider face toti banii....

Nu e Woodstock, dar totusi e ceva iesit din comun in Romania comunista....

Importurile oficiale din anii 60 / Official imports in the 1960s

Am dat de niste date fascinante despre importuriel oficiale de maisni in anii 60 pentru vanzare publica. Bine inteles, au fost multe masini importate sau particular, sau pentru institutii. Dar aici e vorba despre ce se putea cumpara atunci. O sa incerc sa caut si preturi...

NB unele modele au fost importate si inainte de 1963, deci probabil au existat mai multe Moskviciuri vechi, Skode Octavia si Felicia (desi nu Octavia Super care a fost produsa numai in perioada 63-64.) Siguar erau mai multe Wartburguri, Mihai de pe fiat.3xforum.ro a gasit niste statistice interesante despre importurile Wartburg 1956 - 64.

In 1963 au fost importate oficial 2,306 exemplare, iar in 1969 peste 18,000.

Unele masini (Volga, Fiat 1800) se pare ca au avut o rata decenta de supravietuire. Altele au disparut total. Nu tin minte sa fi vazut de mult timp un Trabant 601 din anii 60, majoritatea modelelor existente in tara fiind din anii 80. Probabil ce era mai scump a supravietuit mai mult. 2% din Fiaturile 100 Familiale au supravietuit, posibil e ca rata de supravietuire la mai multe masini din aceasta era e pe la 2%.


Masina Numere Pondere (%)
Dacia 1100 13600 17.6
Fiat 1100 D 1630 2.1
Fiat 124 250 0.3
Fiat 125 250 0.3
Fiat 1100 Fam 100 0.1
Fiat 1300 2567 3.3
Fiat 1500 113 0.1
Fiat 1800 792 1
Fiat 2300 2 0
Fiat 600 2200 2.8
Fiat 850 8405 10.9
Moskvich 403 1084 1.4
Moskvich 407 1442 1.9
Moskvich 408 8674 11.2
Renault 10 5500 7.1
Renault 16 2600 3.4
Renault Gordini 3000 3.9
Skoda 1000MB 9401 12.1
Skoda Felicia 10 0
Skoda Octavia 300 0.4
Skoda Octavia Super 63 0.1
Trabi 600 Lim. 808 1
Trabi 601 Lim. 5750 7.4
Trabi Kombi 857 1.1
Volga 977 1.3
Warszawa 129 0.2
Wartburg Lux 312/1 3200 4.1
Wartburg Lux 2500 3
Wartburg Std. 312/1 800 1
Wartburg Standard 500 0.7
Total 77504 99.8


Total 77504 100



-

Some figures about official imports in the 1960s... Of course, some were imported by the State for its own use, and many other makes and models were imported privately. These were just "official"...

Brasov, 1930s

Din colectia dlui Horia Stoica doua fotografii de exceptie din Brasov. Prima e un Chevrolet Superior Touring, 1926. A doua arata un Fiat 580s din mijlocul anilor 30. Proprietarii arata veseli si prosperi. Ma intreb care a fost soarta lor sub comunism...



From the impressive Horia Stoica collection, two photos from Brasov. The first one is of a 1926 Chevrolet Superior Touring. The second shows a Fiat 508s from the mid-30s. Its owners look prosperous and happy; I wonder how they fared under Communism...

Fosta masina lui Ilie Nastase / Ilie Nastase's former car

Importata din Anglia. Inca mai circula....




Imported form England. Still just about going....

Extinct 1 (TV4/5 seria 1)

Gasite pe Internet, si cu amabilitatea lui Brassovia de pe transira.ro, doua poze foarte rare cu primul model de utilitara TV, fabricate in perioada 1958 - 1964. Din pacate acest model e de mult extinct, ultima poza in care apare asa ceva e din 1971, in plus banuiesc ca putine exemplare au fost fabricate si cine ar fi spus ca asa ceva ar avea o valoare istorica? Si asa se duce o parte din istoria noastra, din nepasare si din dispretul care inca avem fata de "vechituri". Microbuzul e modelul TV-5, dotat cu 4x4. Masinile foloseau motor de M59 pana in 1962.

Tin sa spun ca TV 1958-64 nu e singurul model extinct sau aproape extinct in Romania. Modelul de TV fabricat intre 1964 si 67 (si el numit 4) s-a dus de mult, desi cel putin doua exemplare au supravietuit dupa revolutie, unul la Cluj si unul in capitala. Primele autobuze fabricate in tara exista numai in poze. Dacia 1302 nu am vazut din 2007, si era groaznic modificata. 1100S mai exista una, tare ruginita. 1300 break e foarte rara, variantele de salvare sau 1300F (autofurgoneta) extincte. Din fericire doua exemplare de SR-101 au fost salvate de fabrica, si mai exista inca o epava prin tara. Primele variante de ARO 24, mai ales 242 si 244, cred ca mai sunt numai prin strainatate. (241 a mai supravietuit ca masina de vanatoare pentru "tovarasi", si 240 / 243 erau la armata). Singurul IMS 57 existent e in stare foarte precara odata cu disparitia lui de la fosta fabrica ARO...

Nu e destul sa importam masini, oricat de frumoase sau importante ar fi. Trebuie sa cautam si sa conservam si o parte din istoria noastra auto pentru ca, uita asa ne-am trezit ca cehii si nemtii au conservat mai multe TV-uri 41 si 51 (1967-72) decat a fost tara producatoare in stare.




Two photos, the second thanks to user brassovia from transira.ro , showing the first generation of TV utility vehicles, long since extinct in Romania. Few probably were made, few cared about them, and so another model died out. Sadly this isn't the only Romanian-made model for which this happened. Over the next months I will present a few more, as sadly in many cases photographs are all we have left.

It is NOT enough for Romanian classic car fans to import cars, however shiny and beautiful, from abroad. Romania must conserve its own history. There are more TV-41 and 51 models in the Czech Republic and in Germany than there are in Romania, its parent country. We cannot let further models die out.

Renault 15 in Timisoara

Continuand tema "atunci si acum" stabilita de Fiatul 2800, de mult stiam despre un Renault 15 galben din Timisoara care circula in oras din anii 70. Am fost deci placut surprins sa gasesc o vedere veche din Timisoara cu ... un Renault 15 galben. Sigur, e posibil sa fie o coincidenta, sau ca masina din vedere sa fie din straiantate, in trecere prin Romania. Totusi inclin sa cred ca, pentru ca 15-ul nu a fost un model foarte comun, mai ales prin Timisoara comunista, e vorba de acceasi masina.





Continuing the "now and then" theme... I had known for a long time that there has been a yellow Renault 15 in Timisoara since the 70s, so I was pleasantly suprised to find a 1970s postcard from Timisoara showing ... a yellow Renault 15. Of course, it could be a coincidence: the 15 in the postcard, for example, could have just been passing through Romania. However given the uncommonness of the 15, especially in the Eastern bloc, I'm inclined to believe it's the same car.

Militia 1975

De pe daciaclub.ro, o poza fascinanta din 1975 cu un Volvo "tras pe dreaptra".

Ma intreb oare de ce, in filmele si fotografiile de atunci, rau-facatorii aproape intotdeauna aveau masina occidentala?!



From the forum daciaclub.ro, a fascinating picture from 1975 with a Volvo pulled over for a control.

I wonder why, in the films and photos of that period, the wrong-doers always drove Western cars?!

Amintiri interbelice - Interbellum memories

An extraordinary picture courtesy of the Freiberg Archive, taken by Willy Pragher just before the war in Bucharest. The Pragher photographic archive is exceptionally rich and has many thousands of fascinating photos, some of them automotive, and some of which will be presented on these pages.

O poza extraordinara din arhivele orasului Freiberg. Fotograful e Willy Pragher si pozea a fost surprinsa chiar inainte de razboi, in Bucuresti. Arhivele fotografice lui Pragher sunt fascinante, cu mii de poze, unele pe tema automobilistica. Sper sa pot sa prezint cat mai multe aici in viitor.

Amintiri din 1966

Two pictures from 1966, just before the May change around of number plates. The first comes from a Romanian guidebook from that period, and the second comes from the plaque.free.fr website. FIATs started being officially imported in 1965 and quickly became extremely popular. DB = Dobrogea region.



Doua poze din 1966, diar inainte de schimbarea formatul numerelor in mai, prima dintr-un ghid turistic si a doua de pe superbul site plaque.free.fr. Din 1965 se importa oficial FIAT si a devenit o marca foarte populara. DB = regiunea Dobrogea.

FIAT 2800 in Romania: 1975 - 2005

FIATul 2800 era modelul de referinta a companiei italiane. Foarte putine exemplare au fost fabricate intre 1938 si 1943 - 683, din care 210 erau versiunea militara. Erau condise de rege, de papa, si de elita europeana. Si una a fost si in Romania...

In 2005 aceasta masina era expusa de vanzare pe site-ul Retromobil la un pret modic - 2000 E. Se gasea in Lupeni. S-a vandut repede si din pacate nu am putut salva decat aceasta poza de proasta calitate. (Daca are altcineva pozele care au fost cu anutnul il rog sa ma contacteze!) Arata ca o limuzina long-wheel base cu 4 geamuri laterale si opt scaune: conform anuntul, masina era "balilla ministeriale" desi in literaturea referitor la modelul 2800 nu am auzit dezignatia asta. Oricum, e un model foarte interesant care sper ca a supravietuit in tara.

Ce suprins am fost cand am vazut masina a doua oara, de data asta intr-o imagine de epoca din Oradea anilor 70....

The FIAT 2800 was the flagship model of the Italian company. Very few were made between 1938 and 1943 - 683 out of which 280 were military versions. They were driven by the King, the Pope, and other members of the European elite. And one ended up in Romania...

In 2005 the car below came up for sale in Lupeni at an extremely low price (2000 Euro). It quickly sold and to my regret I only managed to save the one, low quality photo. (There were more on the Retromobil site and I would very much like to hear from anyone with more pictures in large resolution.) It looked to be a long-wheelbase limousine with four windows per side and eight seats: the advertiser said the precise model designation was "Balilla ministeriale", which I have not come across in any of the literature. Anyway, it is an interesting car and I hope it still exists in Romania.

So imagine my suprirse when I found it again in a period photograph of Oradea...

Masinile comunismului 2 - Best of British

In the 1960s and 70s, British cars were quite popular in Romania, and many models which you wouldnt expect to see on Eastern European streets ended up here.

The photograph with the Land Rovers is taken at the Land Rover factory in 1971 with the batch of models for official export to Romania. One of this batch still exists, beautifully restored, and is in the Retromobil club. Incidentally this was not the first time Romanian authorities oridered Land Rovers: in the 50s a batch was ordered by the Securitate, and I hope to show you a contemporary photo in which one of these cars appears.












In anii 60 si 70, masinile britanice erau destul de raspandite in Romania, si multe modele interesante au sosit pe melegaurile noastre.

Poza cu Land-Rover-uri e facuta la fabrica LR in Anglia cu lotul de export pentru Romania. Un exemplar din acest lot inca exista, a fost frumos restaurat si face parte din clubul Retromobil. Incidental, nu e prima data cand au fost importate Land-Rover-uri: prin anii 50 Securitatea a mai comandat o serie de masini; cel putin una se gaseste intr-o poza de epoca, pe care o voi prezenta in curand.

Ceausescu's Jeeps - Jeepurile lui Ceasuescu

In 1965, statul roman a comandat o flota de Jeep Wagoneer argintii pentru folos oficial. Poze cu un exemplar din flota de "gipani" se poate gasi pe fototeca comunismului romanesc. Un exemplar a supravietuit in Oradea, si era recent de vanzare, parca la 16000 Euro... Alt exemplar era condus zilnic in Piatra Neamt pana cel putin 2003, cand am suprins masina intr-o poza de proasta calitate. Din pacate nu am mai vazut masina de atunci, probabil e REMATizata de mult.

Ma intreb daca culorile pe aceste Jeepuri l-a inspirat pe Ceausescu cand a comandat celbra sa flota de ARO-uri intr-o culoare foarte similara...


In 1965, the Communist Party ordered a fleet of silver-grey Jeep Wagoneers for official use. One such Jeep can be seen in hunting images on the excellent "Fototeca online a comunismului romanesc" website, which kindly provided the black and white photos. One other car survived near Oradea, and was recently for sale at the price of 16,000 Euro. Another was being driven in Piatra Neamt until at least 2003, when I captured a poor-quality shot of it. I have not seen it since but do not doubt it was part of that fleet.

I wonder whether these Jeep Wagoneers inspired Ceasuescu for his colour scheme on the custom-built AROs for his private use?...

Accident 1950

Aceasta imagine a fost surprinsa de strabunicul meu, ofiter in armata romana, calatorind prin tara in anii 50. E vorba despre un Chevrolet 1936. Saracul cal!

This photograph was taken by my great-grandfather on his travels around Romania in the 1950s (he was an officer). The truck is a 1936 Chevrolet. Poor horse!

Masinile comunismului 1 - Cars of Communism 1

I'd like to start an occasional series showing pictures of Western cars which drove around Romania under Communism. Contrary to popular belief, not all bigwigs' cars were of Eastern European origin: in the 60s and 70s (and to a much lesser extent the 80s), Western cars were reasonably plentiful in Romania - including some surprising makes. Of course, many were status symbols; others belonged to people with relations abroad; other owners simply liked cars! Many have still survived.

The picture below was taken at Marea Adunare Nationala in Bucharest, some time in the early 70s. As well as the ubiquitous Volgas, we see two Fiat 125s and a shiny new Mercedes.

Cu aceasta poza incep o serie numita "Masinile tari ale comunismului". Nu toti aveau Dacii sau Trabaturi in acele vremuri ... in ani 60 si 70 (si, mult mai putin, in anii 80), masinile occidentale erau destul de raspandite in tara. Multi care aveau asa ceva aveau pile, altii rude in strainatate, altii pasiunea masinilor... Din fericire multe au si supravietuit.

Poza e suprinsa la Marea Adunare Nationala, la inceputul anilor 70. Printre Volgi se vad si doua Fiaturi 125, si un superb Mercedes numit "bot de cal" dupa faruri.